Conventional messaging systems on messaging devices may rely on both or either of visual or auditory feedback to provide cues for determining the category and content of a message. For example, a smart phone may beep and/or flash upon receipt of a phone call, voice mail, or text message. Basic haptic feedback may also be used, but provides the user with little information about a message. For instance, a simple vibration might accompany the receipt of a phone call. Or, a sound effect such as a ring tone may be accompanied by a vibration. In messaging devices with touch screens and virtual keypads, simple haptic effects may be output to mimic a user's experience with the look and feel of a conventional keypad having multiple buttons.
Such standard visual, audio, and haptic feedback may fail to provide a compelling interaction for the user of the messaging device. Accordingly, there is a need for physics-based tactile messaging.